The Holiday Introduction
by NerdForestGirl
Summary: In an alternative universe, Sheldon is trying to avoid his mother's meddling in his personal life. She can't set him up with girlfriend if he already has one. Enter: Amy Farrah Fowler, a new biologist that Sheldon has a run in with in the cafeteria. She needs a place to stay over Thanksgiving. My take on a bad Hallmark movie style romance.
1. Chapter 1

Sheldon didn't want to go home for Thanksgiving. Well, any trip home to Texas felt unnecessary and exhausting. However, Thanksgiving this year seemed as though it might actually be literal torture. Now that both of Sheldon's siblings were married, his mother's focus was turned on him. If he didn't show up with a girl, he was going to be set up with any number of them from his mother's church, even if that didn't make any sense with Sheldon living two thousand miles away.

"Will you go home with me?" Sheldon asked his roommate and best friend, Leonard Hofstadter. Sheldon could pretend that Leonard was his boyfriend. His mother wouldn't ask too many questions if she thought he dated men. Sheldon didn't date men. He didn't date women. He didn't date anyone.

"You know I'm going to Nebraska with Penny," Leonard reminded him.

"You were my boyfriend first," Sheldon complained, but just shrugged. He didn't really have any hope that Leonard would join him. He only really asked out of desperation.

The next day, Sheldon was grabbing lunch alone in the cafeteria. He was still sulking about having to go home. Perhaps he could catch some terrible disease and have to stay here in California. A hospital would be the only reason he could avoid going home. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, there were no free tables. Sheldon stomped to sit across from the weird new neurobiologist.

"Hello," she said to him brightly.

"Hello," Sheldon returned, but his tone made it clear that he had no interest in chatting.

"Excuse me, but could—?" she started.

"What? What do you need from me?" Sheldon snapped.

"The pepper," she said as she pointed to the shaker in front of Sheldon.

Sheldon never felt like an ass even when he was being one, but it seemed that there was a first time for everything. This woman didn't do anything to him, and he was being a jerk to her. He slid the pepper over to her.

"Sorry. I'm just having a rough day because I am stressed out about Thanksgiving. I should not have been so rude to you," Sheldon told her.

"Are you homeless for Thanksgiving too?" she asked.

"Homeless?" Sheldon asked.

"Well, homeless is an exaggeration, but yeah. A pipe in the apartment above mine burst a couple days ago. I was staying in the motel that my insurance covered until I found cockroaches. Since it's Thanksgiving, I've been struggling to find other accommodations, and I slept in my car last night."

"Oh. No. Things are much worse for me than that. I have to go home for Thanksgiving," Sheldon explained.

"You have to go home?" She didn't understand how that was worse, but perhaps the man had some kind of complicated family history.

"You don't understand. I have to go home to Texas," Sheldon clarified.

"And you don't get along with your parents?"

"Oh, no. I love my mother, but she wants me to be happy. It's the worst."

"I see. Well, good luck with that. I have to go wait on hold for another hour to be told that every hotel in town doesn't have a room that isn't $700 a night."

That was when Sheldon got an idea. No one he knew would go home with him for the holidays, but maybe this woman would. She didn't seem to have any better prospects. Sheldon didn't need to actually be in a relationship with someone to make his mother think he was.

"Would you like to go to Texas with me? I need someone to pretend to be in a relationship with me to make my mother stop worrying about me, and you need a place to stay over the holiday."

"Do you know my name?"

"Not yet, but that seems easy enough to remedy."

Sheldon looked at the woman while he waited for her to introduce herself. She just looked at him, shook her head, and walked away. Sheldon thought it was rude that she didn't say her name, but she must still be thinking about his offer. Though, she really needed to get back to him about it soon. Sheldon knew what department she worked in, so it wouldn't be hard to check up and find her later. He went back to eating his lunch.

Later that day, Sheldon found out that the woman with whom he spoke was Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. He also found out the location of her office, and decided to stop by to see if she had made a decision about joining him in Texas. It was an unpleasant surprise to find her crying in her office.

"Oh, God. What do you want?" Amy asked in between sobs.

"I've come to see if you made up your mind about coming with me to Texas. Why are you crying?"

"Because I still haven't found a place to stay. Wait. Were you serious about me going to Texas with you? We don't even know each other," Amy explained.

"I was very serious about it, Dr. Fowler. I have found you a ticket on a plane that leaves a couple hours after mine tomorrow because it seems that my plane is full. It is $350, but I am willing to pay a full half. All other expenses are covered by myself or my family. I believe that will be more affordable than other accommodations."

Amy would never consider something like this if she wasn't backed into a corner, but she had spent most of the last two days trying to find somewhere to stay. Maybe this was her best option. It was that or sleeping in her lab or car.

"Please sit, Mr..," Amy started. Oh God, she was planning on going to Texas with a man whose name she didn't even know.

"Doctor," Sheldon automatically corrected. "I'm Dr. Sheldon Cooper, theoretical physics. I have seen you around for the last few months, but we haven't ever spoken before today."

"Correct," Amy said. She supposed that she should ask him some questions. "Are you a murderer?"

"No," he said. He pulled a few pages of paper from his bag and handed them over. "As you can see my criminal record only consists of one count of jaywalking, which I demanded to be arrested for, one ticket for running a red light during a medical emergency, and one contempt of court charge related to the red light because the judge was a meany."

Amy looked over the background check, and it did seem that Dr. Cooper had a pretty clean record. He had also included his education information as well as a work history.

"You graduated high school at eleven?" Amy asked as she stared at the paperwork. That couldn't possibly be right.

"Yes. Now, I will let you look all of that over, and I will be back at five so that you may drive me home."

"Drive you home?"

"Yes. Since I don't drive, you may drive me home this evening, where you will sleep on my couch tonight because I need you well rested for our trip tomorrow. However, since you mentioned cockroaches and sleeping in your car, I will need to you clean yourself and your clothing tonight."

Amy nodded as she looked down at the papers. A shower and a safe place to sleep sounded like heaven.

"Wait. Don't you have any questions for me?" Amy asked.

"I feel that I have researched you enough to feel comfortable with this transaction. However, you should call your mother. She's worried about you. However, she knows that you are spending the holidays with your boyfriend and his family."

"You called my mom and told her you are my boyfriend?"

"Yes. How else would I have gotten her to trust me? You are so naive, Dr. Fowler," Sheldon explained with a scoff. Then he left Amy alone in her lab.

Sheldon was certainly a weirdo, but he wasn't a dangerous weirdo. Amy did her own research on him, including friending him on Facebook and following him on Twitter. His friends seemed normal. And as five came closer, Amy couldn't believe that she was doing this, but she decided to go to Texas with Dr. Cooper.

Sheldon appeared in her doorway right at five for his ride home. He had his bag and jacket.

"How cold is it in Texas?" Amy asked as she joined him in the hall. Most of her winter wardrobe was either ruined by the flooding or weeded out because she lived in Southern California.

"It is warm there this time of year. You should be fine," he told her as he followed her to her car.

"I guess I should order my ticket when I get to your home," Amy said as confirmation that she was doing this.

"Oh. I already did that. You can pay me back whenever it is convenient."

Of course he did. Amy thought that Dr. Cooper must nearly always get exactly what he wanted because he was so sure that she would join him. She almost envied his confidence.

They drove to Sheldon's apartment where Amy dropped off her clothes in the washing machine before hauling her empty suitcase up to the fourth floor of the building.

"Hello, Leonard. This is Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. She's going to be staying with us tonight and then flying with me to Texas tomorrow. Dr. Fowler, this is Leonard Hofstadter, my roommate," Sheldon introduced as soon as they walked in.

"Hello," Amy muttered. She lifted her hand in a wave, but then Sheldon pushed her towards the bathroom so that she could take a shower. He really was uncomfortable with her mention of roaches. He was tempted to burn his clothes just from riding in her car.

"Why is the new, weird neurobiologist staying in our apartment and then going to Texas with you?" Leonard asked.

"Her name is Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, and she is pretending to be my girlfriend for the weekend in exchange for housing since her apartment is currently under construction."

"Your mom can't possibly be so bad that it's worth taking a stranger home," Leonard argued.

"She tricked me into four dates last time I went, Leonard. I'm not subjecting myself to that again. I may need to pretend to be a little lovey dovey with Amy Farrah Fowler, but at least it will be at my digression. Plus, she won't fall in love with me."

"Whatever. She better not steal anything from us while she's here."

"She won't. She has a perfectly clean record. She graduated summa cum laude from UCLA, and she works at CalTech with us."

"You know your mom is going to see right through all of this, right?"

"She has given her whole life to an invisible man in the sky. I think I can fool her for one weekend."

Leonard was going to argue, but Amy returned to the living room in just a towel. She didn't have anything to wear until her other clothes were finished downstairs because she assumed that Dr. Cooper wouldn't want her to put back on her dirty clothes.

"Oh, right. I was going to get you something to wear," Sheldon said as he stared at her. He didn't like that his first reaction was to look her up and down, but he did notice that she had very nice legs. Not that he cared about that sort of thing.

"Want me to see if Penny has anything?" Leonard offered. It was clear that Dr. Fowler was a little uncomfortable there in just a towel. "Penny?" Leonard shouted as he made his way to the back of the apartment. Amy stood there awkwardly looking at the floor. She could see Sheldon out of the corner of his eye. He looked like he was trying, but failing not to look at her. When Leonard returned, it was with a beautiful blonde woman Amy had already seen in photos on Sheldon's Facebook page. She had a t-shirt and sweatpants in her hands, which she handed to Amy immediately.

"Thanks," Amy said with a nod. She went back into the bathroom to change.

"I would have let her borrow some of my clothes," Sheldon explained.

"Your clothes on that tiny girl? I don't think that would have worked," Penny scoffed.

"It might have," Sheldon said, but he realized that Amy was much smaller than he first realized when she came out in Penny's clothes. The smaller clothes fit better than Amy's own. He wondered if she had some sort of money problems. Her credit was good, but between her lack of housing and that her clothes didn't fit, he suspected that she might not have enough money.

"Thanks. I'm Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. I'm Dr. Cooper's… friend," Amy said as way of introduction to Penny.

"Right. You are going to play his girlfriend for the weekend?"

"Yes," both Sheldon and Amy said at once.

"Keep that up. That was cute," Penny assured them with a smile. She thought that this Amy might make a very cute girlfriend to Sheldon. Plus she had seen enough Hallmark movies to think that it might head that way.


	2. Chapter 2

Sheldon and his friends bought Amy dinner after they heard about her rough week. Well, Sheldon's friends offered to pay for her dinner and they strong armed Sheldon into participating. It was delivered to the apartment where three more people dropped by for a communal dinner that seemed to be a regular occurrence. Amy only caught the name of the tiny blonde on her right. Bernadette was also a biologist, so Amy spoke to her more comfortably than the rest of the group.

They were kind and friendly, and Amy wished that she had found them on her own. She couldn't just steal Sheldon's friend group, but she did want to. How was it fair that he had a family that loved him and this nice group of friends? Though, she did get a friend request from both Bernadette and the Indian guy, Rajesh, by the end of the night. And not a one of them judged her for going to Texas with Sheldon.

"Can I get you anything else for the night?" Sheldon asked his guest after the people who did not live there left. It was bedtime, but Sheldon thought he should check on Amy once more before he went to bed. He didn't have a lot of guests, but he was good at looking after them when he did.

"I'm okay. Thanks for letting me stay here," Amy assured him. She fluffed her pillow and settled in.

"No problem. Oh, and here is your driver's license back," Sheldon told her as he handed it back.

"Why do you have this?"

"I made a copy in case you try to rob us tonight and make off with our valuables," Sheldon explained.

"You really don't know anything about boundaries, do you? Also, did you think I could just sneak out with your TV in the middle of the night?"

"Maybe not the TV, but you could steal that Aquaman statue. It's currently worth $453. Though forget I said that."

"Wow." Amy was a little impressed that the toy could be worth so much. All the same, she wasn't planning on stealing anything from Sheldon and his friends. They had shown her more kindness than she had known in a long time.

"Goodnight, Dr. Fowler," Sheldon wished his new friend. Then he went in to go to sleep.

A few hours later, Sheldon woke to the sound of the television running in the living room. He could barely hear it if he strained, so he assumed that was not what woke him. Then he noticed his full bladder and realized that must be what it was.

After Sheldon finished urinating and washing his hands, he left the bathroom. When he saw that an informerical was playing, he assumed that Dr. Fowler had fallen asleep to the TV. He went over to turn it off when she jumped and put her hand to her chest.

"Dr. Cooper, you scared me."

"Sorry. I thought you were asleep."

"I can't sleep," Amy confessed. She hadn't thought it would be a problem. She hadn't really slept in nearly a week. Still, she was never comfortable in new places. Even if she did feel safer and more comfortable here than in her car.

Sheldon thought about going back to bed, but instead, he sat down on the couch next to Amy. He looked at the blender being advertised on the television and wondered if it was as fabulous as claimed. He assumed not. Things were rarely as fabulous as the claims. It was like all of those girls his mom insisted were perfect for him. No one was perfect for him. Perfect didn't exist.

"What do you usually do for Thanksgiving?" Sheldon asked Amy conversationally. He didn't mind getting to know her a little if only to make this ruse work.

"I usually go home for it, but my parents booked a cruise for the week. I think my mother is hoping that I'll make my own family if I'm shown how lonely it is on my own or something. She's disappointed that I enjoy work more than a social life."

"My mother is very much the same," Sheldon told her.

They sat together comparing parents and sharing funny Thanksgiving stories and then personal histories until Sheldon felt her head hit his shoulder. She had nodded off while he told a particularly long story about the year that his meemaw brought two boyfriends to Thanksgiving dinner. Sheldon carefully pushed Amy so that she was lying down on the couch. He even lifted her feet up on the other end of the couch. He checked his watch, and it was nearly four. He had to be up in a couple hours for his flight, so he went back to bed.

Amy woke up to Leonard getting himself breakfast. She sat up suddenly and looked around for her glasses. They were on the coffee table. She didn't remember taking them off. The last thing she remembered was Dr. Cooper telling a story. It wasn't boring, but his calming tones helped her finally fall asleep after a few bad nights. She hoped he wasn't offended that she had fallen asleep on him.

"Good morning. You'll need to wait until 6:45 to go to the bathroom or you can go across the hall," Leonard explained.

"You have a bathroom schedule? Also, you use the neighbor's bathroom?"

"The bathroom schedule belongs to your new boyfriend, and the apartment across the hall is Penny's." It was clear to Leonard that Amy had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she seemed sweet. He almost offered to just let her stay there while Sheldon was gone.

"Oh." Amy supposed that made a bit more sense. She thought that Penny lived here with the guys. Amy gathered together her clean clothes and went across the hall. She knocked, and Penny answered the door after a moment. It was clear that she wasn't a morning person, and Amy assumed that she had woken her.

"Leonard said I could use your bathroom," Amy started. She was going to explain about bathroom schedule, but Penny just nodded and waved her in like she wasn't surprised at all. Perhaps she wasn't. She had known Sheldon much longer than Amy had.

Penny went back to bed while Amy used her bathroom to shower and change. Then Amy tried to leave quietly, but received a wave from Penny on the way out. Amy liked Penny a great deal. In another life they might be best friends. Even if that other life was just a fantasy where the sweet blonde woman wanted to be friends with Amy.

When Amy walked back across the hall, she knocked, and was greeted by Dr. Cooper. He ushered her inside and helped her get some breakfast. Amy wanted to ask about the bathroom schedule, but she kept her questions to herself. It wasn't really any of her business. They weren't lovers. They weren't even actually friends.

After breakfast, Leonard drove the pair to the airport. Amy's anxiety was reaching a breaking point. How had she talked herself into this? Still, she steeled herself, and walked into the airport with Dr. Cooper. He got them checked into their flights. Then he assured her that he would be waiting for her on the other side of the trip before taking off for his own flight. Amy pulled a book out of her suitcase to read until her own flight took off later.

After Sheldon settled in on his plane, there was an announcement that the flight had been overbooked. If anyone was willing to move to the next flight—Dr. Fowler's flight—they would be upgraded to first class and given a one hundred dollar credit for a later flight and another fifty dollars to use for food in the airport. Sheldon felt his hand raising before he even registered what he was doing.

He was helped off the plane and led back into the airport. From there, Sheldon went to go find Dr. Fowler. She jumped when he sat next to her, and he thought she must startle very easily. This was the second time he scared her without meaning to in less than twenty-four hours.

"Did you miss your flight?" she asked when she realized it was him.

"No. It was overbooked. They offered me compensation for taking the next flight, which is your flight," he explained. "Now, they gave me more money to use on food than I could spend alone even at the disproportionately higher prices here. Would you like to join me in a snack?"

"Sure," Amy agreed. Then she stood and followed Sheldon to a stand with pizza. Sheldon grabbed more food than Amy believed the skinny man could eat. Amy got a slice of cheese pizza and small salad. It came out to still be under Sheldon's allotted funds.

They found somewhere to eat together.

"Thanks for lunch," Amy said as she nodded at her food.

"I wouldn't have done it if it were not for the coupon worth more than I could eat on my own."

"Also, thanks for taking the second flight with me."

"We won't be sitting together. I've been upgraded to first class," Sheldon explained.

Still, Amy was glad to not have to wait alone and not have to worry about finding him on the other end. She smiled at him, but when he seemed more focused on eating than making conversation, she picked at her salad. She didn't understand Dr. Cooper in the slightest. He was nice and then he was mean and then he was mean about being nice. She felt like he was trying to pull her in a million directions at once.

The pair went to wait for their flight. Amy took her book back out while Sheldon played some game on his iPad. Then he pushed it at her.

"Your turn," he claimed.

"I don't know what this is," Amy confessed after she studied it for a few moments. It looked like some kind of virtual card game.

Sheldon explained that it was a computer version of a card game he liked to play with his friends. He could have chosen to play it with strangers on the internet, but instead set it up to just be on his tablet. He showed Amy how to play her hand and explained the goals.

Amy gave it a shot, but lost the round rather quickly. That made sense since Sheldon was clearly more experienced. However, Amy played the next round and the next. When Sheldon leaned closer to show her something she noticed that he smelled nice. Just clean and pleasant instead of some artificial over-sprayed scent. She grinned to herself as she took an extra sniff.

"Amy? Are you feeling ill?" Sheldon asked about the sniff. It was the first time he had called her "Amy" instead of "Dr. Fowler."

"I'm fine, Sheldon," Amy tried feeling out his given name. It fit well in her mouth, and she decided to make the change. It was only fair since they were supposed to be dating. Most people don't use their boyfriend's formal title. Though Amy thought she might call him Dr. Cooper in a flirty way if they were actually dating.

He grinned at her, and their games were getting more competitive as Amy better understood the game. She even won one round just before their flight was called. Sheldon stood to go be seated with the other first class passengers. Only, he didn't get on the plane. He spoke to an employee and gestured for Amy to come over.

"This is my girlfriend, and I was wondering if there was any chance I could give up my first class ticket so that we can sit together," Sheldon inquired.

"Sheldon, you don't need to do that," Amy protested.

"I'm not ending our game with you winning. Not going to happen," he muttered in her ear.

"We can ask," the employee said. Sheldon nodded, and they waited to see if someone sitting next to Amy would be willing to switch to first class. It wasn't a problem, so Sheldon jammed himself into the seat next to Amy Farrah Fowler so that they could continue their game. It was less comfortable than his first class seat would have been, but Sheldon didn't mind if he could keep playing with Amy.

During the flight, they casually chatted about their lives. Amy learned that Sheldon met Leonard when they were both looking for roommates, but they really kicked it off. It seemed that Sheldon was a lot cuter and sweeter than he seemed. Amy swallowed her little crush when Sheldon teased her about losing the game again. Still, the boy made the flight go by faster than it should.


	3. Chapter 3

Sheldon and Amy's flight landed smoothly in Texas. They collected their bags. Then they went to find Sheldon's mother so that she could drive them back to the house. Amy was getting a little nervous again about how this was going to go. If Sheldon's mother didn't believe that Amy was Sheldon's girlfriend, would she put her out on the street? Then as if Sheldon could tell she was nervous, he reached down and grabbed Amy's hand. The warmth comforted Amy immediately.

"Sorry. There's my sister, so I'm doing this for her. I know it's disgusting," Sheldon muttered.

Amy still thought it felt nice. Sheldon's hands were soft and warm. He was clean. Plus now that she was in Texas, Sheldon was the only person she knew. It felt good to be reminded that he was there.

"Shelly," a woman said as she rushed forward to wrap Sheldon in a hug.

"Hello, Missy. Where's Mom?"

"It's nice to see you too. Who is this?" Missy looked at her brother's hand, which was still holding tight to Amy's. Missy had never seen her brother holding hands with anyone. Not even her.

"Mom said she was picking me up. And this is Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler. She is CalTech's finest neurobiologist. She is also my girlfriend."

"Mom had an emergency at church, and you changed flights. Is this really your girlfriend?"

Amy gulped because she was sure they were already caught. She watched as Sheldon's sister, his twin as he'd explained the night before, inspected her. Amy couldn't tell what Missy thought of her. Reading people had never been a particularly strong skill of hers. Amy wanted to hide behind Sheldon. She took a tiny step closer to him in an effort to seek protection. It must have been the correct move.

"It's nice to meet you," Missy said before wrapping Amy in her own hug. "I'm Sheldon's sister, Missy. I'm sure you've heard all about me because I am the fun one."

"I've heard a little," Amy admitted. She smiled that Missy seemed to believe that Amy really was Sheldon's girlfriend. Though now that it was sold, Sheldon dropped Amy's hand. He got in his bag and put some hand sanitizer on his hands. Then he offered some to Amy, who accepted. She didn't need to get sick. Sheldon was clean, but most of the others on the flight were not.

The group went back to the house. Missy let them in since Sheldon's mother was still working at the church. Amy almost asked where his father was before she remembered that Sheldon's father was dead. That should be something a good girlfriend would know. She was glad she caught herself.

"Alright. You'll be in here, Amy. Don't give me a hard time because I don't make the rules. This is what Mom would want, but she didn't tell me anything about you coming. I never thought I would have to lay down the rules that Shelly had to sleep in a room away from his girlfriend."

"It's not a problem," Amy promised. She was relieved even if she was trying not to show it. It was bad enough to have to sleep in a stranger's home again, but having to share a room with Sheldon sounded miserable. Well, not miserable. He was the reason she got any sleep the night before after all. She went into the small, clean bedroom to make herself at home. In fact, she lay down on the bed for what she thought would be just a moment. Instead, she fell asleep right away. It turned out that the week without any sleep had finally caught up to her.

"Oh, she's as cute as a button," Mrs. Cooper said.

Amy rolled over, and then let out a little scream. A strange woman was standing over her. Amy forgot where she was until she saw Sheldon standing next to her. He looked like he was holding back a laugh at her expense.

"Sorry," Amy muttered sheepishly. The woman was clearly Sheldon's mother.

"I'm sorry we scared you. Dinner is ready, dear," Mrs. Cooper said.

"Well, this isn't the first impression I would have liked to make," Amy said. She wiped the side of her mouth where drool had collected. Then she tried to smooth her hair. She checked her watch and realized that she had crashed hard. Had she really slept for four hours?

"It's fine, dear. Shelly was just telling me about how hard your week has been. Clean up, and then we'll have a good meal together."

Mrs. Cooper left. Sheldon followed after a moment as if he wished to say something else to Amy before he thought better of it. Amy found her way to the bathroom with her hairbrush. In the mirror, Amy saw a mess. She was thankful that Sheldon wasn't really her boyfriend for a moment because she was sure he wouldn't be interested in her anymore after the tangled hair or the pillow creases on her cheek. Still, she cleaned up a little before finding a rather large group in the dining room.

Amy recognized Missy, and she assumed the little boy in her lap was Sheldon's nephew. Amy tried to figure out which of the men at the table was Sheldon's older brother, Georgie. The man with the piercing blue eyes exactly like Sheldon's had to be him. They otherwise looked nothing alike. Georgie had longer hair and was much more muscular. Still, Amy could see the resemblance once she took the time to look.

Amy was affirmed when a quick round of introductions was made around the circle.

"And this is my girlfriend, Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler," Sheldon said. He put his hand behind Amy as if he was going to touch her back, but he made no contact. Amy was pretty impressed at how well he impersonated actual physical contact and affection.

"Hello," Amy said shyly. She waved at them awkwardly before sitting in the seat Sheldon pulled out of her. This was all a lot more overwhelming that she assumed. None of it bothered Sheldon as far as she could tell, but she was going to have to lie to all of these people.

"How did y'all meet? Shelly didn't tell us anything about you until you were suddenly here with him," Mrs. Cooper asked after they prayed and started dishing out food.

"At work," Sheldon said. "The cafeteria was busy, so I sat with Amy. She was nice to me even though I was rude to her." Then Sheldon smiled at Amy as if this was all true. Amy thought he was an amazing actor. But it was true. This part anyway.

"Of course you were," Missy said. She knew her brother well enough to not be surprised that he was rude to the pretty girl by his side.

After dinner, Amy helped Sheldon's mother clean up. Mrs. Cooper kept telling Amy to go spend time with Sheldon, but Amy's guilt for lying about being Sheldon's girlfriend made her keep working. When they were done, Amy was exhausted. Instead of going to spend time with Sheldon, and his family, she decided to go to bed early. She walked down the hall and to her room.

Only this room wasn't her room. It didn't have her the same decorations or her things. This room had a poster of Albert Einstein on the wall. It was clearly Sheldon's. Amy left quickly, embarrassed. She went back to the living room to ask for help finding her room. This house was small, but somehow Amy got turned around.

"Sheldon, can you show me my room again? I forgot which door it was," Amy admitted as her face burned. She always got lost in new places. She was hopeless in hotels. Though this might be a new low.

Sheldon nodded and showed Amy where her bedroom was. He thought about teasing her because if any of his other friends had gotten so turned around in his mother's small house, he certainly would have. But there was something different about Amy Farrah Fowler. He just smiled and wished her a good night.

"Thanks," Amy muttered. Her face was still red as she nodded and went into the little bedroom.

It wasn't hard to fall asleep in the cozy little bedroom even though it was strange. Maybe it felt like home. Maybe she really was still exhausted. It didn't really matter because Amy was glad to just actually feel safe and comfortable and get some solid sleep. Even if it meant that she went to bed much too early.

Still, it was early when Amy woke, so she thought she would slip into the shower and get ready for the day. When she finished, she wrapped herself in a fluffy, white guest towel left out for her and went back to her room. At least she thought it was her room.

Inside the room was a sleeping Dr. Sheldon Cooper. He rolled over and opened his eyes when she walked in. It was the second time in the few days he had known Amy that he was confronted with her in only a towel. It was too much.

"Sorry. I thought this was my room."

"You have a comically bad sense of direction," he told her sleepily. "It's the next door," he reminded her. He checked his watch and realized it was time for him to get up anyway. He opened the door for Amy and pointed to the door she was looking for.

"Thanks. Sorry," Amy said.

Sheldon nodded and watched as she walked into her room. He thought about making a sign for her room so she wouldn't get so turned around, but then he realized that it amused him too much to try to remedy it just yet.

After breakfast, Amy wondered what they would do. Thanksgiving itself wasn't until the next day. With her own mother, Amy often spent the whole day shopping for food and preparing, but when Amy showed up in the kitchen with her hair pulled up, ready for orders, she was turned away.

"I can at least peel potatoes, Mrs. Cooper," Amy offered.

"No. You're a guest. Go play with Shelly."

"Why doesn't Sheldon have to help?" George, Sheldon's brother asked from his pile of veggies that needed to be peeled and chopped.

"Because he needs to entertain his little girlfriend."

"I never got out of chores because of a girlfriend," George muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Mary asked her son.

"Nothing, Mom."


	4. Chapter 4

Since Sheldon didn't have to help with preparing dinner, he wondered what he might be able to do. He looked over at Amy, and realized he didn't know what she liked to do other than read. This seemed like a good a time as any to do something he liked to do.

"Come on," Sheldon said to Amy as he led her out to the garage.

"Keep the door open," Mary yelled after them.

"My sister was caught having coitus out here once, and now I get that lecture every time I'm out here with a female. And once with Leonard," Sheldon explained. Then he sighed. "I was the one who had to dispose of three feet of track."

Amy had no idea what that meant. She just nodded and followed him outside. Then it became clear that he meant model train track. This was the most extensive model train set up that she had ever seen. Not that she had been looking, but still. There were multiple track layouts interwoven with each other and intricately painted buildings.

"Wow. You did all of this?" Amy asked. She never would have believed that she could care about toys like this, but even she had to admit that it was cool.

"Yes. I've been working on it since I was seven. I obviously don't have space in my apartment in California to house all of this, so my mother allows me to keep it here on the condition that she is allowed to bring her church youth group by to look at it at Christmas."

Amy was surprised that Sheldon allowed children to come play with his precious trains. That didn't seem like him at all, but maybe he was a bit softer around the edges than he seemed.

"Little hoodlums," he complained as he picked up one of the tiny people and set the miniature business man back on his feet. He never understood how his mother talked him into letting those kids come look at his trains. No one else on Earth could have managed it.

"I never thought that trains could be this cool," Amy confessed.

"You didn't? What kind of stuff did you do when you were a child?" Sheldon asked. Then he peeked around to make sure no one was around to hear what he said. Maybe he should already know what a girlfriend did for fun? Or not? He barely knew what Leonard and Penny did for fun, and he spent all of his time with them.

"When I was a kid I liked to read. I played in the woods near my grandparents' house when we went to visit. Sometimes I wrote stories. Basically I spent about 75% of my childhood pretending I lived in the Western Frontier," Amy explained.

"Why on Earth would you do that? This is as close as I ever got to being outside, and quite frankly I was always concerned that I was going to catch my death of cold out here."

"I liked _Little House on the Prairie_. Actually, I still do. I just don't play pretend as often."

"You should. Playing pretend is one of my favorite things to do. Perhaps someone should make role playing game about a frontier town. Like Dungeons and Dragons, but with pistols instead of crossbows," Sheldon offered. Then he reached down to take Amy's hand. There was no reason for it since no one was around to see it. Still he led her over to a corner of his train set up.

"Is this an old western town?" Amy asked after she got over the fact that Sheldon had taken her hand into his. She pulled her hand away and bent down to look at the section of the train layout. Then she turned to him and gave him a huge grin.

"This is actually inaccurate," she started as she pointed out the little cowboy with his guns. "Guns were more rare than most people realize–"

"I know. I bought those figures as is, and we are in Texas. The hats aren't accurate either," he explained. He was used to explaining things to others, he almost felt a thrill at being corrected by Amy. He grinned at her and took her over to his Christmas village.

"It's almost like a tiny version of the train at Disneyland. I'm a little envious of the tiny people living here. They get to take a two minute journey around the world," she said when she noticed his miniature London.

"I wish I could travel the world by train. Stupid oceans," he complained.

Amy smiled. She couldn't help but agree even if it would take a very long time to get around the world that way. She liked Sheldon's tiny world. It was like he was this benevolent giant who controlled their little world. It was clean and happy and wonderful. She straightened back up and looked at Sheldon in the eye.

He swallowed as he looked back down at her without a word. For just a second, she thought he might try to kiss her. She didn't know why she had that thought. She had only been kissed once, and that felt nothing like this. She wouldn't know what he was thinking while she was thinking about kissing this almost stranger because Sheldon's sister, Missy, chose that moment to walk into the garage.

"I can't believe you are still playing with his trains. I came out here to rescue you," Missy said when she walked in on them. Then she worried that she was interrupting something and started to back out.

"Where are you going?" Sheldon asked his sister. He stepped away from Amy quickly. He didn't like the static buzz between them. He didn't like any of this now that he noticed the way it felt. He wasn't going to be alone with her again on this trip. Or ever. This was a bad idea.

"I didn't want to interrupt," Missy explained.

"You aren't interrupting. Come hang out with us," he begged. Missy being there didn't make the buzz go away all together, but it eased when other people were around.

"No. I don't want to play trains with you guys," Missy said.

"Fine. Then take Amy with you. I need to fix some of this setup," Sheldon insisted. He put his hand on Amy's shoulder and sort of shoved her away from him.

Amy wondered why he didn't want her to stay. She thought they were getting along nicely, but she still nodded and followed Missy out of the garage. She gave Sheldon a little wave that he ignored while he pulled glue and paint out of a drawer.

"I guess he wants to get it fixed up for when Mama brings the kids by to see it," Missy explained.

Amy thought that Missy would just send Amy back to her room, but instead Missy offered to show Amy around town. Amy thought that sounded nice. As it was, she might need to know where the local motel was. If Sheldon was already tired of her, she might need to find somewhere to stay until her flight home on Friday. It would be her luck that he would spill the beans on their pretend relationship by the time they came back from the run around town.

The area around Sheldon's mother's home was very cute. It was different from Boston or LA in a lot of ways, and Amy practically had her face pressed to the window as Missy drove her around. She showed Amy the church and the school and the shopping center where the RadioShack used to be.

"Can we go look?" Amy asked enthusiastically when they came upon a little ice skating rink that was already decorated for Christmas.

"Sure, but are you sure you are Shelly's girl?" Missy asked.

Amy was scared she gave something away. What had she said wrong? How had Missy guessed the truth?

"You haven't been with him at Christmas yet, have you? He hates Christmas," Missy explained when she caught the panicked look on Amy's face. She misinterpreted it as worry.

"Yeah. We haven't been together for Christmas," Amy confirmed as she stepped out of the car. "Does he really hate it? He had a little Christmas village with his trains."

"Oh yeah. Mom bought all that stuff for it years ago. I think he only leaves it for her."

"I love Christmas," Amy said. "Especially Dickens and all of that."

"Dickens?"

"A Christmas Carol? Scrooge? Tiny Tim?" Amy tried again. Sheldon did say that his siblings were a little dim.

"Like The Muppets?"

"Yeah." Amy agreed. At least she had some frame of reference for it even if it was a bit childish.

"I like that stuff too," Missy agreed. She liked Amy, but she also could see why Shelly liked her. They were similar in a way that she hadn't seen in any of the people around here. There was something there.

The pair wandered around for a while before Missy had to get back to help Mary work on the big Thanksgiving dinner again.

"Thank you for spending time with me," Amy said as they pulled into the driveway.

The pair went in as Amy explained that Muppet referred to a combination of marionette and puppet and how they worked. Missy rolled her eyes at her mother when she walked in. She couldn't wait to tell Mary about how much Amy was like Sheldon.

"Can I help, Mrs. Cooper?" Amy asked when they were in the house. Missy was immediately conscripted into pie making.

"Go check on Shelly. He's still in the garage," Mary suggested. Amy wanted to say that she wasn't interested in spending time with Sheldon after he went all cold on her, but as far as she could tell she was supposed to continue the girlfriend act.

Amy nodded and went in the direction Mary pointed. There was only one door that way, so she couldn't get turned around like she did with the bedrooms.

"Is everything going okay in here?" Amy asked.

"What do you want?" Sheldon snapped when he saw that it was Amy. She was alone, and he didn't like the way he felt when he was alone with her.

"What did I do to you? You asked me to come here with you. We were getting along until earlier. What happened?"

Sheldon didn't want to explain what he was feeling. He didn't even know what he was feeling, but he did look at Amy's eyes that were clearly holding back tears. He felt bad to have upset her. That was another unusual feeling that this woman was inspiring in him.

"You didn't do anything. This just isn't working out the way I thought it would," he said to her. He wanted to go to her and offer a touch of comfort. He didn't. It would feel like an electric shock to his heart.

"I'm going to go for a little walk around your neighborhood. Then I can look into an early flight home."

"Don't find a new flight," he insisted. Amy was sure that he just wanted to keep his fake girlfriend around to fool his mother, but he actually felt bad about how he treated her. He was not good at expressing that, so he just went back to painting the figure in his hands.

Amy went out to go for a little walk around Sheldon's neighborhood to calm down and figure out what she was going to do. She checked her bank account on her phone, and she didn't have the money to get a hotel room. She could stay and just avoid Sheldon for a couple days. Well, maybe not avoid him. She still had a story to sell to his family, but it was clear that he didn't even want her as a friend. She was just an actress.


	5. Chapter 5

Amy came in from her walk. She liked the neighborhood, and even though Sheldon hadn't been fond of his childhood, this seemed like a quaint place to grow up. She stopped when she heard her own name from the kitchen.

"I just think he deserves someone better than Amy," Sheldon's grandmother said.

"I think she's sweet," Sheldon's sister, Missy, defended.

"There's something wrong with her."

"Shelly is special, and she seems an awful lot like him," Missy tried.

"She's not as special as he is. He either needs someone on his level or he needs someone who will ground him and take care of him. Instead, he's found this girl that is neither. She's weird, but not brilliant. The worst of both worlds."

Amy walked into the kitchen, and grabbed some juice from the refrigerator. Both women stopped talking as soon as she walked in. They could all feel the tension in the room. Amy nearly left without saying anything to them. Then she paused. She might not really be Sheldon's girlfriend, but she was certainly good enough to be so.

"I might not quite be at Sheldon's level, but my IQ routinely ranges near 150. I didn't get my PhD at fifteen, but I did get it at 20. I work at the same university where Sheldon works. I'm not nearly as beneath him as you'd like to think."

"Excuse me?" Sheldon's grandmother asked.

"Also, he doesn't need as much care as you seem to think. He's a grown man," Amy commented.

"I don't think you know him very well, Dr. Fowler," Sheldon's grandmother said.

"Maybe I don't, but I don't believe you do either."

That was when Sheldon walked into the kitchen. Even he could tell that the atmosphere was pretty tense. He thought about turning around to leave. Until Meemaw opened her mouth again.

"What did you say to me, you little hussy?"

"I'm just saying that he can choose whatever mate he likes, you old cow," Amy yelled. She didn't mean to say something like that, but she hated that Sheldon's grandmother didn't think that she was good enough for him Also, not that it made it right, but Sheldon's grandmother started the name calling first. Amy watched as she left the room. Amy decided to leave too, but she got confused and went into Sheldon's room.

Amy wanted to wait just a moment before leaving because she didn't want anyone to know she hadn't meant to come in here. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and she was pretty sure she was going to cry.

"Why did you come in here?" Sheldon asked as he let himself into his bedroom.

"I got confused, and then I didn't want to look stupid in front of the woman who just called me stupid. I didn't want to leave here right away."

"Oh." Sheldon just lie down on his bed. He didn't mind if Amy wanted to hang out for a little bit to save her pride. He pat the bed next to him. There was just enough space for her to join him, and there wasn't anywhere else for her to sit. He felt the static buzz feeling again, but he didn't feel like he minded it so much this time.

It took a moment, but Amy went to lie next to Sheldon.

"Meemaw called you stupid?" Sheldon asked. He couldn't imagine anyone calling Amy stupid. Even if she was a biologist.

"She said that I wasn't good enough for you. That I either needed to be as smart as you or normal. Unfortunately, I'm neither," Amy explained.

"Pardon me," Sheldon said. Then he stood and left his room. Amy heard him yell something about not speaking to his girlfriend like that. Then a moment later, he returned to his bedroom and resumed his spot on his bed.

Amy moved to put her head on Sheldon's chest. She had never cuddled with anyone like this, or really like any kind of cuddling. It felt natural—for her at least—to just put her ear right above his heart. She listened to his steady, strong beat instead of her own erratic one. It calmed something inside of her. She'd stay like this forever if she could. She liked Sheldon in a way that she had never liked anyone.

Sheldon, for his part, was immensely uncomfortable with the contact. Despite becoming rather fond of Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler over the last few days, he didn't allow anyone to touch him. Especially not like this. The buzz was almost too much for him to handle. However, he could tell she was hurting, so he allowed her to stay. The same little voice in his head told him to keep protecting her just like when he told off his grandmother.

"Thank you for sticking up for me like that," she finally told him. "No one has ever been so kind to me. You will be a great boyfriend one day if you choose to actually find someone. They will be very lucky."

"It was nothing. My meemaw was being unfair to you," Sheldon admitted. He might not actually love this girl, but his grandmother had no right to say those things about Amy. She was really only doing him a favor by being here. Plus she wasn't weird. She was cool. And she was utterly brilliant.

"All the same. Thank you. You are my best friend," she confessed.

"How can I be your best friend? We didn't know each other a week ago," he asked.

"Sheldon, didn't you wonder why I was sleeping in my car? Didn't you think that maybe I might have one friend who would let me crash on their couch for a couple nights while I found somewhere to stay? I am unlovable. Your family can see it. That's why your grandmother doesn't think I'm good enough for you. Because I'm not."

Amy's words made Sheldon angry all over again. She was kind and beautiful and funny and generous and intelligent. He couldn't stand for anyone to tear her down. Not even herself. Maybe especially not herself.

"Don't you ever say anything like that about my girlfriend ever again," he growled.

"I'm not really your girlfriend, remember?"

"You are for now, and if you can't see how wonderful you are, I don't know what to do with you."

Amy smiled and tried to hold back her tears. Sheldon's grandmother could call her every name in the book. It wouldn't crack Amy in the slightest. But this. This man telling her she was wonderful was all it took for the tears to come. She sniffled and failed to blink back her tears until they spilled onto Sheldon's shirt, but Amy still didn't move from her secure place here on this twin sized bed pressed to a man she both barely knew and cared very much about.

That was where Mary found them a while later.

"Missy told me what happened. Come here," Mary said to Amy.

Amy stood and walked to Mrs. Cooper. She hoped to not be further abused before she was sent out. Here, she didn't even have her car to sleep in. She had been brainstorming somewhere to go when she was eventually kicked out. Instead, Mary pulled Amy in for a very tight and very maternal hug.

"You aren't making me leave?" Amy asked.

"No. Of course not. Why would I make you leave?"

"I insulted your mother," Amy confessed. Maybe Missy hadn't explained everything about the fight.

"So do I. All the time. I am a good Christian woman, and she's even too much for me to handle most of the time. Besides, you're family. Families fight."

Amy felt guilty about lying to Mary in that moment. It was the first time she really felt bad about deceiving her about her relationship with Sheldon. She looked back at Sheldon and wished she could ask him to tell his mother the truth. It might inspire her to send Amy packing on the day before Thanksgiving, but she deserved the truth. As if Sheldon could see her struggle, he shook his head slightly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Cooper."

"No problem, dear. Now, go get washed up for dinner."

Amy nodded and left. She wasn't sure, but she thought that maybe Mrs. Cooper wanted to talk to Sheldon alone.

"Shelly, I wasn't sure about your feelings for that girl. There were times that I thought you two were pulling my leg about being in a relationship. Now, I hear that you stood up for her, to your meemaw of all people. Plus, you two were real cute cuddling just now."

"Mom, she isn't my girlfriend. I like her a lot, and she's a friend. However I lied to you when I brought her here. I was intending on continuing this lie until I left for home."

"Why are you telling me the truth now, Shelly?"

"Because it isn't fair to lie to you. You have been welcoming to this woman just because she has some connection to me, but in reality, we only met last week. She needed a place to stay, and I needed a friend because I couldn't stand the idea of another forced blind date," Sheldon confessed.

"But I've never seen you care about anyone the way you clearly care about her."

"Well, yeah. She's amazing. I didn't know that I would be falling in love with her by the end of the week," Sheldon started and then covered his mouth as if he could reclaim the words that had slipped out of his mouth.

"You're in love with her?"

"Well, I don't know if I'm actually in love with her. I've only known her a few days, but I certainly have a bit of a crush on her. It's been a treat to get to spend some much time with her. I'm not ready to propose, but I wouldn't mind if she wanted to continue spending time together when we get home."

"Why don't we keep this between us? Let Amy keep pretending to be your girlfriend, and we won't mention this to anyone else."

"You want me to lie?"

"I just think that it would be better if your meemaw didn't know that this was all fake right now. It might prove her right, and that's good for nobody." Mary had already been pushing them together because she has some sixth sense that they needed it. Now she knew it was because they didn't see how perfect they were for each other. If she could keep pushing them together, she might still be able to play matchmaker. If Sheldon thought he would need to keep playacting, he might not even see what she was doing.

Sheldon nodded in agreement. He stood to go wash up for dinner before taking his spot next to Amy. She smiled at him, and he felt his heart flutter a little. When his grandmother sat down across from them, Sheldon took Amy's hand. He would need to hold it when his mother said Grace anyway.

Dinner was tense and a bit awkward, but when it was over, Sheldon and Missy went with Amy to the living room to watch a movie together. George was stuck with dishes even though Amy volunteered several times. Mary insisted that the happy couple go spend some time together.

"Are you going to be able to find your way to your room?" Sheldon asked when Amy said she wanted to go to bed. Then he stood to show her the way without waiting for her response.

"I can handle it," Amy assured him.

"You say that now, but then when I go to bed, I'll find you sleeping in my room," Sheldon teased.

"You say that like it's a problem," Missy teased her brother. He was the only man in the world who wouldn't want to share a bed with his girlfriend.

Sheldon looked Amy in the eye, and she was almost positive he was blushing. He looked away, but still led her back to her bedroom.

"Goodnight, Dr. Fowler," he said to her when they arrived. It sounded almost flirty, and Amy again wondered if he might kiss her. After a moment, she was sure that he wouldn't.

"Goodnight, Dr. Cooper," she returned and walked into the bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Amy knew things had gotten serious in the Cooper household. It was the first time that she was actually required to help with the Thanksgiving preparations. Though Amy's job wasn't what she would have expected. She was shoved into a car with Sheldon, a bunch of pies, and a list of addresses in which to drop off those pies.

"Maybe George or Missy would be better suited for this?" Amy suggested. "I don't know where any of these places are."

"You have Shelly and one of those infernal phones. You'll be fine."

"I can go help," Missy offered.

"No. I need you here." Mary insisted.

With Sheldon's direction, Amy drove from house to house to drop off pies from Mary Cooper. She wondered if there wasn't some other motive to this errand because at every house, the people asked if it really was Sheldon and if she really was his girlfriend. At each house, Sheldon assured the people there that Amy was his girlfriend.

"I can't believe everyone was so surprised that you have a girlfriend. You're a handsome, brilliant, and accomplished man. Are they like your grandmother? Do they think I'm too weird for you?" Amy said as they finally started heading back to Sheldon's mother's house.

Sheldon let out a surprised laugh. "No one here thinks of me that way. I'm the weird kid who went to high school at nine and asked too many appropriate questions in church. Actually, that's how most of my friends at home think of me too."

Amy could see that he was odd. She was odd too. Maybe that's why she liked him so much. She was already planning on annoying him all the time when they were at home. She hadn't lied when she told him that he was her best friend. She was going to hold him to that.

The rest of the day was a blur of too much food and so many visitors coming by that Amy didn't catch most of their names before they were off to visit someone else. It was so different than the small, family only celebrations of the day that she was used to.

Once the last guests were gone, Sheldon and Amy helped clean up for what seemed like hours without really even making a dent.

"Go play a game or something. You've done enough work for now. We can finish this tomorrow," Mary told Sheldon and Amy. They looked at each other and started out to the living room. "You too," Mary added to George and Missy. "Spend some time with your brother."

"Do we have to?" George joked. Then he pulled Sheldon in for a light noogie.

Amy smiled at the playfulness between the brothers even as Sheldon shoved George away. It was really sweet to see Sheldon play the little brother when he always seemed so in control. Of course, both Missy and George groaned when Sheldon grabbed the Scrabble board.

"Can't we play Candy Land?" Missy asked.

"I'll beat you at that as well," Sheldon assured her.

"Come on. We can see if Amy can beat him. She seems smarter than him," George offered.

"She isn't," Sheldon said more confidently than he felt. It was clear from just a few days with Amy that she was a genius.

The four sat down near the coffee table to start playing.

"I knew you two weren't really a couple! I knew that you would never fall for a girl like this," Sheldon's grandmother said as she walked into the living room where Sheldon and Amy were starting a new round of Scrabble. Missy and George had bowed out after they both fantastically lost the first game, but Sheldon and Amy were fairly evenly matched, they started another.

"What?" Sheldon asked.

"How did you know?" Amy asked.

"I overheard your mother on the phone saying that she's been working to set you two up. Why would she need to set you up if you were already together?"

"Mom?" Sheldon shouted. He got up from the floor where they were playing and went to find his mother. He had trusted her with the truth—even the truth about how he felt about Amy—and she chose to use it against him. "Mom!" he shouted again.

"What, baby?" Mary asked when she came out of the kitchen.

"You are trying to set up me and Amy?" he asked.

"Why would I need to set you up? You're already dating." Mary gave a pointed look towards her mother.

"She knows. She heard you talking to someone on the phone about us," he explained.

"Damn," Mary swore.

"You knew that I brought Amy here to get away from the pressure of your meddling. Why would you try to get us together? I don't have any more interest in her than I do in any of the girls from your church. Just leave my life alone," Sheldon shouted. Then he stomped back to his room.

Amy was crushed. She liked Sheldon in a way that she never expected she might when the week started. Yeah, they weren't a couple, but she didn't expect him to seem so offended at the idea. And for him to outright say that he wasn't interested was definitely a stab to the heart.

"I think I'm going to go," Amy muttered as she scrambled up from the floor. Then she turned back to put the game away. She loaded the tiles back into the box. Then she picked it up and shoved it at Mary.

"Sweetheart, don't go. Where do you even plan on going?" Mary asked.

"I'll just wait at the airport. My flight leaves in eighteen hours. That's not so long. Thank you, Mrs. Cooper, for your hospitality." Amy then walked back to her room. She didn't have any trouble finding it this time. She packed up her things in between looking up the phone number for a cab company and calling.

Then she rushed out the door without another goodbye to any of Sheldon's family. What must they think of her to be a part of this. They must all hate her so much for lying to them about everything. She was really starting to care about all of them, so she couldn't face them. The air was chilly as she waited for her cab. Sheldon lied to her too. He said it would be warm here, but she could see her breath. Winter was here, and the warm days were over.

The cab came to pick Amy up. She took one last look at the little house that had held love and comfort for her for the last couple days. Of course that had all been fake. Just like her relationship with Sheldon. Just like her feelings for him. She was ready to go home and get back to her real life.

"Where's Amy?" Sheldon asked after he finished sulking in his room for a while.

"She left," Mary said. She was worried about the girl. "I think she was going to get her flight changed."

"I doubt she can do that. And then where is she going to stay? She doesn't have the resources for that. How could you let her leave?" Sheldon shouted at his mother.

"She's an adult. I can't make her stay. Besides, I think it was your words that made her leave. Not mine. Not even your meemaw's."

"I need someone to drive me to the airport," Sheldon announced.

"I'm sorry, baby. I took my pain medicine for my back. I'm not allowed to drive, and everyone else went home. You can call a cab," Mary suggested.

Sheldon pulled out his phone and called the only taxi company in town. They told him it would be at least an hour and a half until they could get someone out there. He decided not to order it. He felt like he could walk there in the time it would take.

"You can take my car," Mary offered.

Sheldon thought on it. He grabbed the keys and walked out the door. He hadn't even tried to drive in over a year, but this seemed like his best shot to get Amy back. He didn't know if he loved her. He thought he might even though they had only known each other for a week. He couldn't let her go.

The drive to the airport was one of the most terrifying things that Sheldon had ever done. He thought about turning back at least a dozen times, but the thought of Amy leaving or having to spend the night in the airport spurred him on. He managed to park the car before he went into the airport.

Now he had no idea how to find Amy. He tried calling her, but she didn't answer. They were taking the same flight back, and Sheldon thought that maybe he could use his ticket to get past security. Only, they turned him away. Maybe he was too late. Amy was gone. He'd see her at work when he got back. Maybe she would listen. Maybe he could explain that he loved her, but he was afraid too. He didn't mean what he said about not caring about her.

"Sheldon?" he heard. He turned back. Amy was sitting in a fast food restaurant inside the airport. She was nursing a cup of coffee and trying to figure out what to do. She hadn't been able to reschedule her flight and they wouldn't let her past security until the next day. She was planning on finding somewhere to hole up for the night when she was sure she saw Sheldon walk by. She called his name by reflex before she could stop herself.

"Hello," Sheldon muttered nervously when he got to her.

"Hi," she said back.

"Why did you leave?" Sheldon asked. He grabbed the seat across from her to sit down. He took a napkin from in front of Amy to wipe it down before he could actually sit.

"Your family knew I was a fake," she said. She didn't mention that she was hurt because he didn't care about her. It felt silly that she liked him so much already. They barely knew each other. She wasn't supposed to be in love.

"Mom already knew. I think she might have known as soon as you showed up. It's why she let us go play with my trains instead of helping with Thanksgiving. I brought you here so that she wouldn't try to send me on dates with women. I didn't see it at first, but she managed to try to set me up anyway. How will I ever live this down?"

"Why will you need to live it down?" Amy asked him.

"Because it worked. She finally set me up with a girl I like," he confessed.

Amy's cheeks burned, and she couldn't quite look up at Sheldon. She couldn't help the grin that pulled at her lips. Was he really saying that he liked her?

"You said I wasn't any different," Amy whispered into her cup of coffee.

"I was lying. I don't do it often, and it's usually to myself. I knew you were different when I gave up first class to sit with you on the plane. I actually should have known when I saw you in a towel in my apartment at home and I cared. Do you know how many times I've seen Penny in just a towel? I couldn't even tell you what her legs look like. I could draw yours perfectly from memory. I've been lying to me. To you. To my mom. But it wasn't about you not being my girlfriend. It was about how much I like you."

"I like you too," Amy admitted. She peeked up at him through her eyelashes. She hoped for some romantic moment, but he was standing up and putting back on his jacket. "Where are you going?"

"Home. Our flight doesn't leave until tomorrow. I'm not staying here all night, and you have to come with me. It was hellish enough for me to have driven here in the first place."

"You drove here?" Amy asked. She knew that he didn't drive.

"Yes. I was worried that a taxi would take too long and I would miss you. Mom couldn't drive, so here I am. You're driving us home," he explained. Then he handed her the keys to the car.

"I think I should stay here. Your mother," Amy started.

"Mom likes you. She thinks you're good for me. Come home," he said. He offered Amy his hand. Amy thought it sounded like his offer to come home sounded more like just going back to his mother's house. It sounded like he was home. Amy nodded and took his hand.

Amy drove them back to Sheldon's mother's home. Mary gave her a big hug when she walked in the door with Sheldon. She apologized, but Amy felt like she should be the one to say she was sorry. She had spent the entire time there lying to people who had treated her with nothing but kindness. Mary wouldn't hear a word of it.

"Let's go have some pie," Sheldon offered Amy. He was sure that there were at least three types of pie left. He pushed Amy into the kitchen. He had another motive to spend a little more time alone with her before they went to bed.

"This was a weird Thanksgiving, but I'm glad I came. Your family is fun. My mom would never be so happy if she found out I was lying."

"Then you'll have to come back with me next year," he suggested as he offered Amy choice of pecan, pumpkin or apple. She chose the pecan and he cut her a slice.

"I'd like that," Amy said. She liked the idea of them having a future. Of him wanting it as much as she did.

"Now, you'll have to excuse me. I've never done this before, but this seems like as good a time as any to try," Sheldon said as he set their pie slices down on the kitchen table. Amy thought he meant something about the pie, but instead he put his hand on her waist and pulled her close. Then he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers in a kiss.

"Wow," Amy whispered after he pulled away.

"Yeah. Um. It seems like kissing. May I do it again?" Sheldon asked.

"Of course."

Sheldon leaned down and kissed her again.


	7. Chapter 7

Note: I know that this story is technically finished, but I wanted to add a little more of the next year. I based this story on a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, and those always end with a kiss. That's how I ended it, but I wanted to tie up a few things that I left hanging. Here's a little epilogue.

* * *

Leonard pulled up to the loading area at LAX. He smiled at the woman in the backseat through the rear view mirror. When he had met her almost exactly a year ago, he didn't know that they would become friends, but she was a real part of the group now.

"Have fun, kids," he said.

"It's Thanksgiving with my family. It's hardly what I would call fun," Sheldon said to his best friend.

"At least you don't have to hire a girl to go home with you like you did last year," Leonard said.

"He didn't hire me," Amy defended from the backseat. She didn't like the implication that she was some sort of escort.

"He kinda hired you," Leonard said.

"I did," Sheldon agreed. Even he could see that she was annoyed when he looked back at her. "But you are not hired this year. You are going because I love you and you love me."

Amy melted a little at his words. It wasn't the first time he said it, but it still got her a little whenever he did. She grinned at him and leaned forward for a kiss.

"Not now. People are watching," Sheldon complained.

Amy went back to being annoyed, so she decided to climb out of the car. She grabbed her bag and started inside without any more words to either of those boys. It might have been a little silly how Amy met Sheldon, but they weren't pretending anymore. They loved each other.

Sheldon caught up to Amy. He took her hand into his. Not because he was trying to show off to anyone, but because he wanted to. He liked the little electric buzz that he felt from it. It felt good to be in love with Amy Farrah Fowler. Well, when she wasn't mad at him.

"You didn't hire me. I did you a favor," Amy argued while they waited in line for security.

Sheldon argued back. Not because he wanted a real fight, but because he got a thrill out of arguing with her. She was brilliant. More so than he realized when they met. He liked pushing her because she pushed back. When they got near the front of the line, he leaned down and stole a kiss. He couldn't help himself. This must have been what his mother had pushed him toward. He could see why she wanted him to have it. It felt so good to be in love.

"Leonard was too public, but this is fine?" Amy teased after he pulled away.

"I can't help myself when you are being too cute," Sheldon argued.

Amy blushed and awkwardly scratched her head. She wasn't used to being called cute by anyone. Not even Sheldon. Even if this wasn't the first time he said it.

They got through security and to their plane just fine. They landed in Texas where Mary picked them up. She hugged Amy tightly and gushed how nice it was to see the girl again.

"Sheldon's grandmother is still convinced that you two are playing a joke," Mary warned Amy. "I've told her that you stopped all that nonsense when you were caught, but she seems to believe that's not true."

"It's okay," Amy said sadly. It wasn't okay, but Amy wasn't going to be pushed out of her own life just because some old lady decided she didn't like her. A lot of people didn't like Amy over the years. She tried not to let it bother her. She had Sheldon. She had Leonard and Penny and the rest of Sheldon's friends—who had all pulled her into the group like she had always belonged there once they heard that Sheldon really did have a girlfriend.

"She'll come around. She's just a stubborn old lady," Mary assured Amy.

They pulled up to the house and went inside. Missy and George didn't hesitate to hug Amy when she walked in.

"Meemaw, you remember Amy?" Sheldon asked. He put his hand on Amy's back. Unlike the previous year, the contact was real. Sheldon didn't pretend to touch her.

"Of course, I do—what is that?" Meemaw asked as she pointed to Amy's left hand.

"Oh. We were hoping to make the announcement later. Obviously, Mom already knows because she helped get me the ring, but Amy and I are getting married. I asked her to marry me a couple weeks ago, and she said yes. I thought it would be nice to announce it at Thanksgiving since that's how we met," Sheldon explained.

"Absolutely not. I forbid it," Meemaw said.

"Mom!" Mary exclaimed.

Amy felt crushed. She thought that Sheldon's grandmother might be angry about the engagement, but she didn't expect that to hurt so much. Sheldon loved his grandmother, and she worried that her disapproval might cause Sheldon to have second thoughts.

"I'm going to go clean up," Amy said with a slightly cracking voice.

Sheldon followed her into the bathroom. He closed and locked the door behind them.

"I'm fine, Sheldon," Amy assured him.

"It doesn't look like you are fine, and you know I struggle with reading emotions. It doesn't help when you lie to me," Sheldon countered.

"I'm not fine, but I will be. I am upset that your grandmother still seems to hate me so much," Amy admitted.

"She's a stubborn old lady who does not like to be wrong. I believe that is where I get my similar traits. Luckily, I am nearly always right. Like when I knew I wanted to marry you."

Amy walked closer to Sheldon and rested her cheek against his chest. He put his hand on her back to hug her. He wasn't used to giving comfort this way, but Amy seemed to bring it out in him.

"Kids, you know you can't be in a locked room together," Mary said as she pounded on the bathroom door.

"Like we would have coitus in the bathroom," Sheldon complained as he rolled his eyes at Amy.

"Perhaps I should moan your name so that your grandmother thinks that we are having sex in here," Amy teased. She would never actually do that, but she liked the idea of giving the old woman a shock.

"You don't moan my name," Sheldon said while he went over to the door and unlocked it. "You usually just make general moaning noises or give me direction," he added after he opened the door. Sheldon's mother, grandmother, and siblings were all standing nearby.

"Well, none of us needed to hear that," Missy said. She wasn't as smart as her brother, but she put stuff like that together lightning fast.

Amy's face went bright red, but Sheldon just shrugged. He was an adult man with a fiancée. He was allowed to sleep with Amy if he wanted.

Sheldon and Amy were given a little bit of time to rest, but since Sheldon didn't need to be pushed to spend time with Amy this year, the pair were given jobs just like everyone else to help with the Thanksgiving prep.

Mary watched as Sheldon and Amy kept stealing kisses and sweet little glances over their work. Maybe her mother didn't believe the pair were in love, but anyone else could see it. Especially since she had never seen Sheldon be so cute with someone.

"Amy?" Sheldon's grandmother called her over as she did the dishes.

Amy looked at Sheldon, but he just pushed her over to go talk to his grandmother. Amy swallowed hard in fear but went.

"Come here." The old woman guided Amy into the guest bedroom that was Amy's for the rest of her stay. "It pains me to say this, but I was wrong. You marry that boy. I've never seen him so happy in his entire life. You marry him and keep making him happy. You're good for him."

Amy's throat was too thick for words, so she just nodded until Sheldon's grandmother pulled Amy in for a hug.


End file.
